Drug rehab and Methadone maintenance therapy is a method that allows people addicted to opiates to treat their harmful addiction in a comfortable way. Methadone, an opiate, eliminates the pains of opiate withdrawal when taken in sufficient quantities. Methadone given in the doses for maintenance does not cause the euphoria or sedation experienced with Heroin or Morphine, but addiction can quickly develop. Drug rehab and Methadone maintenance allows opiate addicts in recovery to function normally without the physical pains of withdrawal or craving. Since patients are not "high" when using Methadone as directed, they are able to participate in their recovery and in society, less likely to return to risky behaviors such as drug abuse or crime.
Methadone Administration
Methadone therapy usually takes place in a Methadone clinic, where recovering addicts are administered a dose of Methadone which prevents the occurrence of opiate withdrawal symptoms for up to thirty-six hours. Drug rehab and Methadone therapy can be a long term program, with the maintenance phase lasting for a minimum of six months. For some addicts, Methadone maintenance can continue indefinitely. Eventually, patients are tapered off of Methadone until the doses become so small that the individuals are eventually opiate free.
Pros
Methadone comes with benefits and consequences, though the consequences outweigh the benefits. One benefit of Methadone is that the drug prevents the onset of withdrawal pains and symptoms in opiate users who are detoxing. The "kick" is much more comfortable with Methadone than it is to go through it "cold turkey" because Methadone itself is an opiate with similar effects of Heroin or Morphine. When used as directed in a clinic, Methadone is neither intoxicating nor sedating, and does little damage to any of the body’s organs, systems, or the mind. To this effect, Methadone is seemingly harmless when used responsibly. However, this does not hold true for large doses of abused Methadone or prolonged use.
Cons
The main problem for those who participate in drug rehab and Methadone maintenance is that they are not eliminating an addiction, but simply switching it. The same amount of time and energy dedicated to scoring and using opiates remains centered around obtaining and using the needed dose of medication. Methadone creates a strong physical dependency and although it does not intoxicate at prescribed doses, many addiction professionals consider the eventual detoxification and withdrawal from Methadone a much more difficult and lengthy process than a detoxification from heroin or other opiates. There is virtually no benefit to simply delaying the inevitable detoxification process, and Methadone may possibly make this detox that much more uncomfortable. Methadone can be fatal. Though it does not damage the body when used as directed, Methadone in larger than recommended doses, or when taken with alcohol or other sedative medications, can lead to death. In 2005, more than four thousand people in America died from accidental Methadone overdoses.
